Rocky Hill officials voice concern over traffic, pollution
By: Jake Uitti
MONTGOMERY Timing issues regarding other applications before the township Planning Board have forced a delay of a proposal by Wawa to move to a new location and build a larger store.
Originally scheduled for Monday, the application to move Wawa from Routes 518 and 206 further down Route 518 toward Rocky Hill, where a new store will be built, will be considered Dec. 12.
Mayor Louise Wilson explained that when an application to the Planning Board is deemed complete, the clock starts ticking on a 45-day deadline to review it.
"Monday," Mayor Wilson said, "there were two other, pretty major applicants before the board ahead of Wawa, and Wawa agreed to push the discussion back."
Wawa seeks to relocate its store to an adjacent tract, formerly the site of Princeton Gamma Tech. Wawa also plans to install 12 gas pumps at the new location.
Rocky Hill’s Mayor Brian Nolan believes the relocation which will be very near the borough’s border will negatively affect traffic on Route 518 and cause problems with the borough’s well water.
"The borough has borne many expenses in the past because of polluted water" from the Princeton Gamma Tech site, Mayor Nolan said. "It is an opportunity for disaster."
But members of the Montgomery Township Committee, along with township Administrator Donato Nieman, have argued that the move of Wawa will, in fact, improve traffic flow.
Mr. Nieman explained that the plan includes construction of a road connection from the new Wawa lot to the Montgomery Shopping Center to help ease the number of cars reaching the intersection of Routes 518 and 206. Mayor Wilson also said that Wawa’s underground gasoline tanks would undergo tests of a high standard to ensure their safety for the nearby wells.
Susan Bristol, former chairwoman of the Rocky Hill Planning Board, said the plan for Wawa is a failure, citing potential oil pollution and traffic impacts.
"Why," Ms. Bristol asked, "would you put a gas station suited for highway use so close to a historic district?"
Wawa is slated to be the first applicant before the Planning Board on Dec. 17. The meeting, at the Municipal Building, will begin at 7:30 p.m.

